Automated listing management

• US 9,704,123 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Jin, Hua-Ming, Lin, Ken, Ackley, Matthew F.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/774,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 235375, 235376, 235380, 235383, 705 5, 705 713, 705 261
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

A system and method that manages listings is provided. In example embodiments, a first listing for offering an item is created. A second listing that is an adjustment to the first listing that includes a different attribute is then created. A result of the first listing and a result of the second listing are evaluated. An optimal listing based on the result of the first listing and the result of the second listing is determined.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one server operable to

create, using offering creating logic, a first listing for offering at least one of a plurality of same items;

determine a recovery rate for the first listing;

compare the recovery rate for the first listing to a range associated with a target recovery rate;

responsive to the recovery rate being within the range associated with the target recovery rate, automatically create, based on machine-readable rules, a next listing for at least another of the plurality of same items, the next listing maintains an attribute of the first listing;

responsive to the recovery rate being outside the range associated with the target recovery rate, automatically create, based on the machine-readable rules, a second listing for at least another of the plurality of same items, the second listing comprising an adjustment to the first listing that changes the attribute of the first listing;

and

cause the next listing or the second listing to be distributed to a channel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server is further operable to generate a report containing results corresponding to at least one of the first listing, the next listing, or the second listing.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server is further operable to forecast future results based on the result of at least one of the first listing, the next listing, or and the second listing.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute comprises a quantity.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute is changed by either an absolute number or a relative percentage.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first listing and second listing are created for different channels.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server is further operable to provide a user interface for entry of the range associated with the target recovery rate.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute comprises a price.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server is further operable to:

determine a recovery rate for the second listing;

compare the recovery rate for the second listing to the range associated with the target recovery rate;

responsive to the recovery rate for the second listing being within the range associated with the target recovery rate, automatically creating, based on machine-readable rules, a further listing that maintains the attribute of the second listing; and

responsive to the recovery rate for the second listing being outside the range associated with the target recovery rate, automatically creating, based on the machine-readable rules, a third listing that is an adjustment to the second listing that changes the attribute of the second listing; and

causing the further listing or the third listing to be published to the channel.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first listing is a test listing used to evaluate an effectiveness of the offering of the item.

11. A method comprising:

creating, using offering creating logic, a first listing for offering at least one of a plurality of same items;

determining a recovery rate for the first listing;

comparing the recovery rate for the first listing to a range associated with a target recovery rate;

responsive to the recovery rate being within the range associated with the target recovery rate, automatically creating, based on machine-readable rules, a next listing for at least another of the plurality of same items, the next listing maintains an attribute of the first listing;

responsive to the recovery rate being outside the range associated with the target recovery rate, automatically creating, based on the machine-readable rules, a second listing for at least another of plurality of the same items, the second listing comprising an adjustment to the first listing that changes the attribute of the first listing; and

causing the next listing or the second listing to be distributed to a channel.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating a report containing results corresponding to at least one of the first listing, the next listing, or the second listing.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising forecasting future results based on the result of at least one of the first listing, the next listing, or the result of the second listing.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the attribute comprises a quantity.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the attribute is changed by either an absolute number or a relative percentage.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first listing and second listing are created for different channels.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first listing is a test listing used to evaluate an effectiveness of the offering of the item.